Digital imaging systems have gained wide acceptance in the preparation of printing precursor elements for use in printing operations. For example, flexographic printing presses are widely used in the printing of packaging products where the use of a compressible relief imaging element is advantageous for printing on a variety of substrates including, for example, plastic and cardboard. A flexographic media generally comprises a layer of photopolymer that is exposed to UV radiation through an image mask, such as a film, to selectively harden the photopolymer.
Optical heads for imaging emit a plurality of light spots on a light-sensitive medium. The optical imaging head may be configured from an array of pigtailed laser diodes. Each laser diode is optically coupled to a proximal tip of a multi-mode optical fiber. The media is often on a rotational drum and imaged by the array of lasers. Another system for imaging printing plates is a flat bed based imaging device. The media is positioned on a horizontal bed and the optical path is designed to scan the optical beam across the media mounted on the flat bed.
The present invention addresses different features used in computer to plate (CTP) devices, and more specifically in the field of direct imaging on a media positioned on a flat bed.